NWA broadcaster Joe Galli says he’s living the dream, and he’s looking forward to the “Alwayz Ready” pay-per-view on June 11.
Dating back to the NWA 70th Anniversary Show in 2018, Galli has been involved with the promotion for the majority of its new era under NWA President Billy Corgan. As a member of the broadcast team, he has a unique perspective on the promotion’s growth throughout this period, and he’s confident that the event on Saturday will showcase NWA at its best.
In an interview with WrestleZone, Galli previewed Alwayz Ready and stated that it will deliver plenty of bang for the fans’ buck. He also noted that the company hopes to revitalize the host city of the show, Knoxville, among other former strongholds that can now be considered “dry towns.”
“Just order Alwayz Ready. Or if you wanna go all-in and get the NWA All-Access Pass, get all of our pay-per-views for the year and see first runs of all of our stuff, I guarantee you it’s gonna be worth every penny that you’re gonna put into it, especially for the people that are gonna be there in person. Think about Knoxville, it’s been really a dry [wrestling] town for so long, but there’s an enormous amount of history there and with the NWA. Our roots go so far deep, especially compared to a lot of other promotions that are out there. We wanna make sure that we can revitalize wrestling in some of these places that were strongholds. And so I think that that’s what we’re gonna be doing in Knoxville.”
Galli then described how having a star like Matt Cardona as the reigning NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion can help the NWA bring differing sides of the wrestling community together; the champion can attract some newer fans, and the company also hopes to draw in those who were watching the product when legends like Ric Flair and Dusty Rhodes were wrestling in the NWA ring.
“I think that having Matt Cardona come in and be our champion will help bring in a lot of the newer fans that are there, and then also a lot of the people who were there for years and who may have seen Dusty Rhodes versus Ric Flair or have fond memories of the Von Erichs, the list goes on and on, people who miss the Fabulous Freebirds,” said Galli. “We wanna be able to bring that entire wrestling community together and I think we’re doing really well with that.
“And I think having Matt Cardona there just brings in those people that may just typically be on one particular side and only have one particular taste but they’ll come and try it, and I hope that they stick around.”
SATURDAY. I’ll be there! @nwa #AlwayzReady pic.twitter.com/rYUQE5SusT
— Matt Cardona (@TheMattCardona) June 7, 2022
Perhaps more than any other promotion, NWA stands apart from the rest with its impressive lineage; the company was founded in 1948, but it has roots as far back as the 20s and 30s, as Galli noted. Given this lengthy history, Galli made it clear that working for the NWA is both an honor and a dream come true. He emphasized his passion for the company and for wrestling itself before he noted that he has the best seat in the house at the commentary table.
“I have to say that being a part of this broadcast team is an absolute joy for me,” said Galli. “It really is a dream come true. It’s one of those things that you, if you would had asked me 11, 12 years ago, ‘Hey do you think you’ll be calling matches for the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship?’ or something like that, I would have been like, ‘What? are you crazy?’ But it’s great that my career has evolved so much and I’m very, very fortunate to have when having the appropriate amount of skill and be at the right place at the right time, and so when Billy Corgan purchased the NWA and started the Lighting One era, being able to call those first matches where Tim Storm was still the Worlds Heavyweight Champion, and being able to impress Billy to the point to where he wanted me to be a part of the company, and I’m still here this many years on, I think it says something for what Billy sees in me and I think it says something for what I’m willing to put into the product and how much I really love this business and I love this sport.
“And to be able to be a part of an organization that has roots going back to really the 20s and 30s, before the big meeting in Waterloo in the 40s, it goes back further than that, and to be able to have that and be the voice and to be able to be your play-by-play commentator, I am humbled for one, and two, I always like to consider that I’ve got the best seat in the house. Nothing’s better than sitting at that commentary table and not only to be able to talk about what’s going on but being able to interact with everyone that I get to sit with at that commentary team is a legend in their own right.”
? @Kamille_brick didn't work this hard for nothing.
This Saturday at #ALWAYZREADY, the holder of the Burke defends the belt against @KiLynnKing.
? LIVE on #FITE and INCLUDED WITH #NWAALLACCESS ANNUAL
June 11 | 8PM ET
? https://t.co/BX8M2NekId pic.twitter.com/jkWLXK4iZ8
— FITE (@FiteTV) June 5, 2022
Galli circled back to his love for his job and described how it’s especially apparent on pay-per-view days, as the work is particularly enjoyable when he gets to watch it all come together.
“I guess that expression, if you’re doing something you love, you never work a day in your life,” said Galli. “And I think that that’s really true, especially on those days when we’re having our big shows, when we’re having our anniversary shows or the Crockett Cup or going out for Alwayz Ready, you really do feel that and it’s super satisfying and enjoyable, especially when you see it all come together.”
NWA Alwayz Ready takes place on Saturday, June 11. The event is available to pre-order on FITE now. The pre-show will air on YouTube, and the main card will deliver an action-packed event. The advertised lineup is as follows:
NWA Women’s Tag Team Championship
The Hex (c) vs. The Pretty Empowered
NWA World Tag Team Championship
La Rebelión (c) vs. Commonwealth Connection
NWA World Television Championship
Tyrus (c) vs. Mims
NWA National Heavyweight Championship
Jax Dane (c) vs. Chris Adonis
NWA World Women’s Championship
Kamille (c) vs. KiLynn King
NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship
Matt Cardona (c)* vs. Nick Aldis
- Cardona is recovering from bicep surgery, but he is still set to appear at the show.
Taya Valkyrie vs. Natalia Markova (with Taryn Terrell)
Aron Stevens’ Swan Song
Aron Stevens vs. Trevor Murdoch
NWA Junior Heavyweight Championship
Homicide (c) vs. PJ Hawx
Samuel Shaw to compete
The Fixers vs. The Mortons vs. AJ Cazana & “Adorable” Anthony Andrews [Pre-Show]
Rodney Mack vs. Magic Jake Dumas [Pre-Show]
